The More Things Change
by Panny Pancake
Summary: Kazahaya couldn't believe that he'd been excited about working with that guy when the partners had first been announced. Back in the good old days when all he'd known about Himura Rikuo was that he was top of the class and before he'd realized that he was also a smug, self-satisfied, condescending jerk.


"Cut it out," Kazahaya snapped. In the back of his mind a persistent voice nagged at him to keep quiet (they were supposed to be _hiding_ after all), but Himura was driving him up the wall and he felt like he was going to burst out of his skin.

"Cut what out?" And Himura had the nerve to sound genuinely confused.

"That thing you're doing." The room was far too hot and too narrow and Kazahaya wished desperately that sometime during their mad dash away from an angry poltergeist, he'd had the foresight to choose a better location. "With the noise and the movement. Stop it."

"I'm breathing," Himura said, infuriatingly calm. There was no 'idiot' tacked on to the end, but the sense of it reverberated through the room regardless. Kazahaya couldn't believe that he'd been excited about working with that guy when the partners had first been announced. Back in the good old days when all he'd known about Himura Rikuo was that he was top of the class and before he'd realized that he was also a smug, self-satisfied, condescending jerk.

Feeling himself bristle (which was becoming too routine for comfort), Kazahaya turned to let his companion know _exactly_ what he thought of him, but felt the words die in his throat along with his irritation. Even in the dim light of the overhanging bulb, Kazahaya could see that though Himura was indeed _breathing_ as he claimed, every rise and fall of his chest was unnaturally slow and careful, his face tight with the denial of pain. Stubborn brat.

Kazahaya allowed himself a moment to feel thankful that Himura was apparently also "different". If he hadn't been able to break up the desks into smaller pieces as they hit...Kazahaya shuddered at the memory of Himura, the infuriatingly rude jerk with whom he'd had a caustic relationship since day one, throwing himself in front of Kazahaya to act as a human shield. He refused to imagine any outcome that could have ended without the two of them crowded into the tiny, uncomfortable supply closet.

"Are you okay?" he asked, intending to sound calm and reassuring, but even his voice was against him. He kept his gaze steady as if it could erase the tremble in his words.

Himura just looked at him for a long moment and Kazahaya more than half expected him to lie. Then Himura silently shook his head, looking so weary that Kazahaya was sharply reminded that as much as he sometimes acted like he had more world experience, they were the same age.

"We need to get out of here," Kazahaya said suddenly feeling determined. Himura needed his injuries looked at.

But Himura was shaking his head. "The spirit's still out there. It's too risky."

"We'll have to find a way around it," Kazahaya said. "It's not like we're necessarily any safer in here."

And then as if he had tempted fate, the door rattled.

Kazahaya barely had time to process what was happening before Himura's body was once again in front of him, simultaneously shielding him from any potential danger and pressing him back in the small space. The careful distance - the deliberate lack of physical contact that Kazahaya had cultivated was breached, one clear, desperate and very much _not his own_ thought shooting across his consciousness. _Tsukiko_.

And then as quickly as the tension had risen in the room, it was shattered. "Oh my, don't you boys think this hiding place is a little cliche?"

"Kakei-sensei," Kazahaya blurted in relief and tried to dart around Himura as quickly as he could without seeming like he was rushing to put distance between them (which was exactly what he was doing, of course).

Himura straightened, barely wincing at all, before inclining his head in greeting. "Nice of you to show up."

"I appreciate the warm welcome, but I'm sure you both have realized that the situation is rather pressing," Kakei said, smile in place, but looking unusually brittle. "And Doumeki-kun is on loan to me for a very limited amount of time." Kazahaya suddenly realized that someone else was in the hallway with them - a tall, dark-haired boy, holding his arms stiffly as if to mime pulling back the string on a bow.

Himura's gaze shifted to him as well. "You should have taken the time to get his channel. He won't be able to keep this up as long without it." Kazahaya got the all too familiar feeling that he was out of the loop. As usual.

Kakei shrugged in a way that might have passed for cheerful. "I could hardly leave my favourite students to the whims of a vengeful spirit. Speaking of which, we better get moving - Saiga's waiting for us in the library."

"The librarian?" Kazahaya asked, falling into step behind his instructor despite his confusion.

"Who else would you expect to be waiting for us in the library?" Himura shot back and Kazahaya couldn't even bring himself to be mad about the smirk on the other boy's face.

"Kakei. Boys," Saiga greeted, baring the first genuine smile Kazahaya had seen in hours. "Best get on with it quickly."

Kakei grabbed a book that had been set out on the table, quickly opening the back cover and retrieving the sign out card from the pouch in the back. "Kudo-kun, this is where you come in. I think you know what you have to do."

Kazahaya breathed a shaky breath before gently running his fingers along the elegant writing of the last person to sign out the book. Immediately his senses were assaulted with memories that didn't belong to him. Silky black hair. A musical laugh. The faint smell of perfume. He held fast through the anger and fear that raced through him, knowing they came from somewhere else. These memories were precious to someone and the experience of being a voyeur never got easier.

Somewhere in those jumbled moments of unreality he had picked up a pen and with barely a thought he began to write. A sharp, decisive script that was nothing like his own. _Souma_.

And then the sense that the very space around him had sighed and a presence vanished as if it had never been. He felt wobbly as he often did after seeing someone else's memories and half expected to fall to the floor before he registered someone's arms supporting him. He looked up and felt utterly unsurprised to see Himura there.

"Are you alright?" Himura asked, mirroring Kazahaya's question from earlier. Kazahaya opened his mouth only to realize that he didn't know how to answer. How could he possibly explain the sense of secondhand loss and fear he'd gotten from the spirit in those moments?

"All she wanted was to know that she'd see her senpai again. That violence...she was just afraid," he said quietly and then Kakei was taking the book from him and his face was gentle and Kazahaya dared to think for a moment that he knew what Kazahaya had come to understand. _She would have hated that death had twisted her feelings this way._

"There used to be a legend at this school about a certain book in this library," Saiga said, "That if you wrote your name beneath that of your lover, you'd be destined to meet again no matter how much time or distance separated you."

"Maybe it's true," Kakei said, spreading his hands. The book had disappeared somewhere that Kazahaya didn't see. "Some souls are bound together and will find each other no matter how many worlds they're reborn in." (A flash of something raw and vulnerable on Himura's face and Kazahaya thought of the desperate thrum of _Tsukiko_ and chose to pretend that he hadn't seen). Here he glanced at Doumeki, whose arms had fallen limply by his sides. "I believe Ichihara-san would call that Hitsuzen."

The boy grunted something in reply and Kazahaya couldn't be sure if he was tired, rude, or just quiet by nature. Frankly, he couldn't be bothered to care because the longer he stood under his own power (though Himura was doing something that could only be described as _hovering_ and Kazahaya was irritably coming to the realization that he might have to reassess his first impressions) the more exhaustion set in.

"You can tell her, of course, that she can consider her debt paid in full," Kakei continued as if Doumeki's non-answer was of no consequence.

"Does she owe you anything now?" Saiga asked, voice sounding jovial enough though it was difficult to read his expression with those sunglasses in the way (figures that he wore them even at night). "Knowing her, this was somehow fulfilling a favor to you, right?"

It was subtle, but Kazahaya thought Doumeki's gaze might have hardened. "I needed the spirit to move on. She was causing problems for a friend." And then without so much as a by-your-leave, he walked away.

"Doumeki-kun might have the right idea," Kakei said, straightening. "Kudo-kun, Himura-kun, you can consider your assignment complete. I'll cut you some slack on the report this time, but I expect you in class tomorrow." And then with a cheerful smile, he turned to go and Kazahaya chose not to question it when Saiga made to follow him.

"Good work tonight, by the way," Saiga offered as he passed, "But next time maybe choose a more creative hiding place, eh?"

Kazahaya made to leave himself before a tug on his backpack stopped him. He turned with no small amount of annoyance, but completely lacking surprise to see Himura holding him back. "What?" he gritted, too tired for another round of squabbling.

Himura used one hand to stiffle a laugh, the expression the most genuine that Kazahaya had ever seen on his face. "He's right, you know. You'll need to do better next time." And then he walked off as if he hadn't just arrogantly stopped Kazahaya from doing the same just to insult him. _Unbelievable_.

"I didn't see you coming up with any ideas," Kazahaya shouted after him, "And you better be going to see a doctor, you jerk!"

It would be a couple of hours before Kazahaya would realize that Himura had said 'next time'. Longer still before it would occur to him that he had probably grabbed his backpack deliberately. And after that it would still be some time before he'd risk holding the little scrap of paper with a phone number and the name 'Rikuo' written in what he recognized as Himura's lazy scrawl. When he did there would be no flash of painful memory, but only an odd warmth that would diffuse through his chest. Only as he lay on the cusp of sleep would he dare to consider that this might have been a deliberate consideration on the other boy's part.

* * *

><p>Saiga had made a valiant effort to talk Kakei out of staying up to grade papers, but Kakei had reasoned that just because Kudo Kazahaya and Himura Rikuo had chosen a book for their research project that turned out to be haunted by a vengeful spirit, didn't mean that the rest of his class didn't deserve to get their grades on time. And that had been that.<p>

Or it should have been, but to his frustration, the words on the page in front of him insisted on blurring out of focus. Loathe as he was to admit defeat, even his best pair of reading glasses couldn't remedy exhaustion.

Strong arms slipped around his shoulders, Saiga's silent acknowledgement of his plight. If he was smug about being right, Kakei might have put up a little more resistance, but the chest at his back was warm and he had always been weak to such quiet displays of support and Saiga's easy, affectionate nature.

"That Rikuo is surprisingly honest." Saiga's breath tickled his ear and he allowed his head to recline a little further. "From what you said, I didn't expect such a bold move. Not that I disapprove."

Kakei hummed, hand moving to trace idle patterns on Saiga's arm. "I suppose they have less to hold them back in this world. Whatever their hardships, they're both still innocent." Kakei's thoughts darkened and it must have shown on his face because Saiga's arms tightened around his shoulders. "I wouldn't involve them if there was any other way."

"I know," Saiga said and Kakei knew that he meant it. "I'm sure the other you is the same. I'm trusting him _because_ he's you."

"He said they'd been drawn in, whether we helped them or not," Kakei agreed. _I would like you to agree to help them, even though I have faith that they'll be fine regardless. Because it's _them_, even if they're not the same boys I know._ Hearing such a level of devotion and belief in a voice that was his without being his had made Kakei briefly jealous. A part of him longed to know the feeling of that type of bond even as the rest of him balked at the situation he'd found himself in. He'd long since learned to cope with his powers of foresight, but there were some things that even predicting the future couldn't prepare you for.

"But of course you couldn't leave them on their own," Saiga said and no, Kakei really couldn't have. Even if the boys weren't yet to him whatever they were to the Kakei in that other world, he wouldn't leave them to face such challenges alone when it was in his power to support them. "You're a real softy sometimes. Your reputation as a sadist will be in trouble," Saiga continued, as if he was any different.

Saiga's arms unwound themselves only for one hand to settle gently on his shoulder, a wordless entreaty to come to bed. Kakei didn't even bother with being stubborn, just as silently folding his glasses on the table before haltingly rising from his chair, legs sore with stiffness. Saiga could win one every once in a while. The smile he received was reward enough.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **  
>I do love CLAMP for the convenient crossover opportunities it provides when you need a character to fulfill a role. Featuredmentioned in this fic along with our darling Legal Drug boys were Doumeki Shizuka (xxxHolic), Ichihara Yuuko (xxxHolic and Tsubasa), Watanuki Kimihiro (xxxHolic and Tsubasa - the friend Doumeki mentioned), Souma (RG Veda and Tsubasa - our vengeful spirit), and Kendappa (RG Veda and Tsubasa - the senpai).


End file.
